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86 ragas and devotional collections to return to. Browse by time of day or emotional colour, with recordings and classical sources close at hand.
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Showing 25 of 86 collections
Clear filtersOne of the six ancient principal ragas — the raga of the swing (hindola), pentatonic on Kalyan swaras with tivra Ma, omitting Re and Pa. Sung in the morning and associated with spring festivity.
Sources draw on Sangita Ratnakara, Natya Shastra, and Bhatkhande’s Sangeet Paddhati. Dosha mappings from Charaka Samhita / Ashtanga Hridaya.
The simplest of the midday Sarang family — pentatonic, omitting Ga and Dha, with shuddha Ni rising and komal Ni falling. Vrindavani Sarang's plainer sibling for the sun's peak hours.
Midday Sarang-family raga carrying the bhava of Vrindavan — Krishna playing among the gopis. One of the rare day-time ragas in this library.
A twentieth-century raga now firmly in the concert canon — komal Ga with tivra Ma over shuddha Re and Dha, sweet and faintly wistful ('madhu' — honey). Sung in the late afternoon; its attributions follow modern pedagogy rather than old shastra.
Carnatic-origin raga widely adopted in Hindustani concerts; radiant evening raga often used to open a performance. Pentatonic (omits Ma + Dha).
Foundational Hindustani raga taught first to students. Sandhya-kala (twilight) raga of devotional longing; full-octave sampurna jati with characteristic tivra Ma.
A beloved night raga of the Bilawal thaat, serene and romantic in mood. It moves on shuddha Ma in ascent and touches tivra Ma in descent (the signature M'-P-G phrase), omitting Re and Dha while rising.
A grand night raga joining the shades ('chhaya') of Nat to Kalyan — shuddha swaras with tivra Ma flashing in descent, the leap from Pa to Re its signature. Sung in the first prahar of night.
A beloved night raga of the Khamaj thaat associated with the monsoon — shuddha Ni rising, komal Ni falling, Ga and Dha omitted in ascent. Carries shringara and the fragrance of rain; the melody of countless thumris and of Vande Mataram.
A grand night raga of the Khamaj thaat using both gandhars and both nishads — the signature R-g-R-S phrase gives a tender, regal joy. Sung in the second prahar of night; also honoured as a raga of the Guru Granth Sahib.
A sweet light raga of the Khamaj thaat rooted in folk melody — shuddha notes rising, komal Ni falling. A favourite of thumri, dhun and kirtan singers; vadi attributions vary and are left unstated.
Pentatonic evening raga of romantic sweetness, omits Re and Ma. Attributed to modern composers but widely performed.
Head of the Khamaj thaat, a light-classical night raga beloved of thumri and bhajan — shuddha Ni in ascent, komal Ni in descent, Re omitted while rising. Many kirtan and bhajan melodies rest on its easy sweetness.
Late-evening Kalyan-family raga combining both shuddha and tivra Ma. Romantic and longing in mood.
Popular thumri-style evening raga with a playful, darting sanchara. Frequently closes a Hindustani concert.
A light pentatonic raga of the Khamaj thaat omitting Re and Dha — shuddha Ni in ascent, komal Ni in descent. A favourite of thumri, bhajan and kirtan, and honoured as a raga of the Guru Granth Sahib.
The signature raga of the Kafi thaat (komal Ga and komal Ni), and the seat of light-classical thumri, dadra and Holi songs. Tender, amorous and folk-rooted; associated with the spring (vasanta) season.
A tender raga of the deep night, Bageshri's near twin with shuddha Ga in place of komal — Pa omitted entirely, komal Ni in both directions. Sung after midnight in the Bageshri hours.
A Kanada-anga night raga (Shahana) with a richly vakra, ornamental gait; a Carnatic ragam of the same name is its cousin. Hindustani codification is loose and gharana-bound, so the scale rows are left unstated.
The raga of the night's last watch — Marwa thaat, Pa and Re omitted in ascent, soaring in the upper octave with komal Re touched only in descent. Carries the viraha longing of the Sohni-Mahiwal legend.
The raga of spring in full bloom ('bahar'), Kafi-thaat with both nishads and a leaping, budding movement. Basant's lively companion — sung at night in season and freely through vasanta, so it carries a ritu rather than a prahar.
The ancient raga of spring (vasanta), Purvi-thaat, rising straight to the upper tonic where it blossoms. Traditionally sung at night in season — and at any hour once spring arrives — so like Megh it carries a ritu rather than a prahar.
Not a codified raga but a folk dhun of the Himalayan foothills adopted into light-classical and devotional singing — a Bhoopali-like pentatonic frame taken with free, song-like liberties. Dhun and kirtan singers love its open sweetness; suitable at any hour, so it sits outside the prahar rotation.
Modern ambient instrumentals in an Indian-classical idiom made for romance and rest — sitar, sarangi and drone textures over long, slow arcs. Not codified ragas: no raga is named and the pieces follow mood rather than grammar, so they sit outside the prahar rotation as anytime shringara listening.